Week 7 Waiver Wire: Early Pickups and Breakout Fantasy Football Candidates
Week 6 of the NFL season was another wild one, enough to make you feel like you really don't have a good read on these teams at all. The Green Bay Packers looked inept falling 27-10 to the New York Jets, while the Pittsburgh Steelers shocked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-18. (And, apparently, the New York Giants are for real.)
The fantasy contributors in Week 6 were somewhat surprising as well. The Indianapolis Colts' Matt Ryan, who hasn't topped 20 points all season, was the second-highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy heading into Sunday Night Football, with 27.16 points. The Colts also produced one of the day's best running backs, with Deon Jackson doing a bang-up job in place of Jonathan Taylor.
Jackson is one of a handful of players who will likely see waiver-wire claims heading into Week 7 as fantasy managers navigate injuries and fill out their bench depth. Let's take a look at a few more breakout players who are likely to be available in your league this week. We define sleepers as players who are rostered in 40 percent of leagues or less.
Deon Jackson, RB, Indianapolis Colts
Rostered: 28 percent
Week 6 stats: 12 att, 42 rushing yds, 1 rushing TD, 10 rec, 79 rec yds, 28.10 pts
The Indianapolis Colts improved to 3-2-1 with their 34-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, with the offense, which has struggled to start the season, finally showing some signs of life.
After the afternoon games Sunday, Matt Ryan was the second-highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy, and with 58 passing attempts, you'd think the team was deemphasizing the run game while star running back Jonathan Taylor remains sidelined with an ankle injury.
However, the Colts made backup Deon Jackson a key part of the offensive game plan on Sunday, both on the ground and through the air. Jackson carried the ball 12 times for 42 yards and found the end zone on a three-yard run up the middle.
He also caught the ball 10 times to rack up 79 receiving yards; in fact, Jackson was Ryan's second-favorite target in Week 6 behind Michael Pittman Jr.
Jackson's future production is hard to quantify once Taylor returns to the lineup. However, his skill in the passing game could be a reason to keep him on your bench.
Tyquan Thornton, WR, New England Patriots
Rostered: 1 percent
Week 6 stats: 4 rec, 37 rec yds, 1 rec TD, 16 rushing yds, 1 rushing TD, 21.30 pts
The Patriots exploded offensively in their 38-15 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Following the early games, there were three Patriots in the top five within their respective positions in scoring: running back Rhamondre Stevenson, tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
Heading into Sunday Night Football, Thornton remained among the top 10 wideouts in scoring, his name among those like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Stefon Diggs. Not bad company to keep.
The rookie, whom the Patriots drafted in the second round of this year's draft, has attracted a following because of his blazing-fast 40-yard dash time at the combine, nearly breaking John Ross' 4.22-second record with a time of 4.28. (In an unofficial time, he posted a 4.21, which would have been the fastest ever had it stood.)
Thornton showed off that speed on Sunday, streaking across the middle of the field to connect with quarterback Bailey Zappe on a 21-yard reception and finding the end zone twice.
The Baylor product just made his NFL debut last week, as he missed the first four weeks of the season with a neck injury. He's wasting no time making his mark in the league, establishing himself as a must-add in dynasty and keeper leagues and earning serious consideration as a bench player in redraft leagues.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Rostered: 38 percent
Week 6 stats: 3 rec, 49 yds, 1 TD, 13.90 pts
Fantasy managers have been keeping a close eye on rookie Alec Pierce all season, waiting for him to break out. He had 80 or more yards in both Weeks 4 and 5 but hadn't yet found the end zone, and his target share (21.9 percent in Week 5) didn't make him a must-add in redraft leagues.
However, now Pierce has found the end zone for the first time this season, and the snowball is rapidly rolling down the hill.
Pierce's value in dynasty or keeper leagues is a no-brainer; those in redraft leagues using point-per-reception scoring may see more value in picking up his teammate Parris Campbell, who has consistently seen more snaps and on Sunday had 11 targets to Pierce's seven.
Fantasy managers may also want to see Pierce be more consistent with his hands before rostering him; against the Jaguars, he had three receptions but was targeted seven times.
However, it's clear to anyone who's been paying attention that the Colts have been slowly getting ready to unleash Pierce. After his first career touchdown, that time is rapidly approaching. If Pierce's talent outpaces Campbell's—and, with no disrespect to the veteran, it's looking like it will—his target share will also increase.
Fantasy scores and stats via FantasyPros using PPR scoring